Indore: “While the government is focusing on diagnoses and determination of sex during sonography, the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) centres are deciding sex of baby even before the mother conceives. This should be addressed and all the IVF centres should be registered under PCPNDT Act.
Senior radiologist Dr Alok Lahoti stated this while giving suggestions to state advisory board of pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques on improving sex ratio in the state. A meeting of the board was held at Brilliant Convention Centre on Saturday. Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College dean Dr Jyoti Bindal raised questions over sale of pregnancy termination medicines over the counter.
The meeting of advisory board was conducted after three years and new members that have been added include MLAs Jhuma Solanki, Kalawati Bhuria, Dr Jyoti Bindal, Dr Neerja Puranik among others. Health minister Tulsi Silawat presided over the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Silawat said steps taken in Indore for improving the sex ratio will be followed across the state.
“Indore becomes the cleanest city in the country. We all will have to work together to make the state best in sex ratio too. We will ensure that suggestions are implemented while the advisory boards are constituted in all districts and their meetings take place in every three to four months,” Silawat said.
Earlier, health commissioner Prateek Hajela gave a presentation on status of sex ratio in the state and steps taken by the department to improve it. He asked department to check hard disks of computer systems too along with checking record of sonography centres.
’Sex determination on in pvt hosp near MP border’
MLA Kalawati Bhuria said the sex determination still takes place in private hospitals majority of which are located in border areas of the state. “Sex determination still takes place in hospitals in Dahod as it is near Jhabua and many people from our district go there for treatment. This should be stopped and monitored,” she insisted.
Tribals don’t discriminate: Solanki
MLA Jhuma Solanki said tribals do not discriminate between boys and girls. They treat both equally. “Doctors should not be blamed for everything as they are already afraid of clauses in PCPNDT Act. Relaxation should be given for technical issues,” she added.
Meanwhile, Dr Savita Inamdar said people understand words ‘paap and punya’ better. “So, along with writing sex determination a legal offence, it should also be mentioned that it is ethically wrong,” she remarked.
